And on the eighth day...

This is going to sound crazy (when has that ever stopped me?), but whenever I doubt the existence of God, I remember Booker T. & The MG's.
You might wonder how Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn and Al Jackson, Jr. relate to the creator of all things.
I trace my spiritual association to impressionable drives along the magnificent Northern California coast, sun streaming through my window, whitecaps dancing in the ocean, and songs such as "Soul Limbo" and "Time is Tight" blaring from my car speakers.
I spent my college summers back home in Sebastopol, Calif., where the magnetic pull of the Sonoma County coast proved too great for me to avoid. I spent many a day touring Highway 1, the road that snakes its way up and down my personal selection of "heaven on Earth." I have never felt closer to God.
My preferred soundtrack for these life-affirming was a soul instrumental cassette tape that featured at least three Booker T. & The MG's selections. I played that tape so often it eventually wore itself out, but the vibes contained within resonate with me to this day.
I am listening to "The Very Best of Booker T. & The MG's" right now. If I close my eyes, I can almost smell the salt water and I definitely feel the presence of God.